By Lydia Pelliccia and CAMICB Executive Director, Matthew Green, CAE
Knowledgeable, committed community association managers are the professional mainstay of the communities they serve, providing the skills and expertise that are essential to the effective management of their homeowner associations. ?These managers are dedicated to their career and take specific paths to further their professional knowledge and skill sets. For example, holding the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) credential – offered by the Community Associations Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB), is a mark of proficiency and high quality and is the only internationally accredited certification program in the world for managers of homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives.
CMCA credentialed managers show their commitment to professionalism and staying on top of industry issues and changes in the field by complying with continuing education requirements in order to maintain their credential. This is done through a process called recertification and is the cornerstone of best practices in the credentialing industry. Recertification is an ongoing process designed to promote and prove continued competency in the community association management profession. This competency is demonstrated through participation in continuing education in the field of community association management by participation in at least 16 hours of continuing education coursework every two years.
Further, community association professionals may also choose to bolster their careers and expand their level of expertise in certain areas by earning a “specialty designation.” A “designation” is recognition of professional knowledge and expertise in a given subject matter or job skill. Certain specialty designations are offered through the Community Associations Institute (CAI) including, the Association Management Specialist (AMS), Large Scale Manager (LSM), Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM), Community Insurance and Risk Management Specialist (CIRMS) and Reserve Specialist (RS). This allows a community association professional to drill down into a specialized aspect of the business. In some cases, passing the CMCA examination is a prerequisite to applying for these designations, for example the PCAM and AMS.
Understanding the Role of a Community Association Manager
In broad strokes, the job of the CAM is part financial management, urban planning, facilities maintenance, community development, volunteer management, and project management.
Their role is to implement the policies set by the board of directors, oversee operations, services, and programs as laid out in the contract with the association, and provide information and advice to assist board members in their decision-making. Particularly, managers must be well-steeped in the details and nuances of guiding and advising their boards in specific areas that include meetings; governance, legal and ethical conduct; budgets, reserves, investments and assessments; financial controls; risk management and insurance; property maintenance; contracting; and, human resources.
Further, a strong credentialed manager must understand contracts and real estate documents to clearly explain the materials and answer questions raised by residents or board members.
“The role of an effective community association manager is a complex position that requires a unique blend of skills and characteristics,” said Australia-based Michelle Cummins, who is the Chief People & Client Support Officer at MaxSoft Group as well as Director at Strata Community Association Australasia and Director at Strata Community Association Victoria. Cummins went on to describe some of the essential characteristics and traits that an HOA manager must possess including optimism, kindness, good presentation skills and being “other-person focused.”
“An optimistic outlook can be a game-changer when dealing with challenging situations. It helps you focus on solutions rather than problems, which is crucial when you’re responsible for multiple stakeholders,” said Cummins. “Kindness fosters a positive environment, making it easier to work with vendors, Boards, and homeowners. Good presentation skills and
effective communication is key; from running annual general meetings to explaining financial statements, a good manager must be clear and engaging.”
Cummins describes “other-person focused” as being empathetic and focused on the needs of others which is critical to building strong relationships. And similarly, she noted that “intelligence isn’t just about IQ; it’s also about emotional intelligence and the ability to adapt and learn.”
In addition, an effective and compassionate CAM must have an expansive skill set that includes an array of “soft” skills. It’s imperative CAMs have excellent people and interpersonal skills, strong customer service and communications skills, and the ability to listen and collaborate in order to solve problems between residents, homeowners and Board members.
“Credentialed managers demonstrate excellent communication skills and customer service with the ability to perform the duties set forth by their Boards or residents with promptness, accuracy and integrity,” said Jennifer Andal, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, who is the Director of Better Communities in Dubai. “It’s so important for managers to be able to negotiate and understand the laws and be able to find middle ground for their stakeholders. Trusted managers are transparent with their Boards and admit when they make a mistake while offering a solution as they need the support of their Board to carry out their duties.”
Enhancing Soft Skills
Each year, Rhonda Drews, PCAM, who is a Vice President with Premier Community Management, spearheads the CAI-Coachella Valley (CAI-CV) Chapter Community Association Manager Day event for its Chapter managers. Drews shared the seven categories that provide the basis of the skills and knowledge managers need to be effective; these categories rely heavily on having strong “soft” skills. The following outline these important areas and are excerpted from the CAI-CV Chapter Committee’s CAM Day materials:
Leadership – A good HOA manager must be confident enough to discuss best practices and not let others intimidate them. Some Board members will be very opinionated, and you as the manager should know how to respond to them in a helpful and constructive way. A manager should be able to act as the HOA’s leader as well as know when to delegate responsibilities to others.
Professionalism – Professionalism means more than putting on a business suit every morning. Professionalism includes written, verbal, and physical presentation of yourself. A professional manager will remain calm in tense circumstances, won’t raise their voice, or show frustration as this will typically escalate situations. Having conflict resolution skills is a plus too, as it will help you resolve issues without needing legal intervention. Additional traits are: being accountable and taking responsibility for yourself as well as displaying emotional intelligence, accepting feedback, criticism, and building interpersonal relationships.
Communication – Communication is key, especially when it comes to community association management. A strong manager must communicate daily with their Board, residents, and business partners, and must be able to properly listen and respond to others and clearly articulate their thoughts. Additional communication skills include using proper email etiquette, punctuation, vocabulary, proactively communicating, and responding in a timely manner. A strong manager should be able to interact well with all types of individuals, including residents, the Board, and business partners, despite any differences in background, opinions, or beliefs. If a manager has conflicting thoughts, they can still explain their side — but in a way that is neutral and respectful to all parties involved.
Managers must also be prepared to say no to something without making it sound negative and/or spinning a bad light on management and/or the Board. It’s crucial that managers be good listeners. After all, communication is one of the biggest components of community management. Many people will come to you with their concerns (sometimes angry concerns), and you should have the patience to listen and try to understand each member’s situation so you can help effectively find solutions.
Community Association Governance – Managers must be well-versed in the workings of their HOA(s), and its governing documents. This includes staying up to date on Federal and State laws regarding HOA communities, which is so important for ensuring the HOA is running according to the law, their governing documents, and the management contract. A good manager will be proactive and aim to serve their client to their fullest ability and take pride in the work they produce. An HOA manager doesn’t need to be a professional accountant, but it’s necessary to have a general understanding of accounting. This goes a long way when maintaining the monthly, quarterly, and yearly HOA budgets. Your Boards should be able to rely on your recommendations when it’s time to make important financial decisions for the community.
Business Partner Relations – Business partners are your allies. A community association manager should respect their business partners and rely on their expertise. It’s not necessary to have the specific knowledge of the various trades, but it helps to have general understanding of the work or service being provided and to be able to effectively communicate the needs of the project/community to the business partner. A strong manager should get to know the general process of each service or maintenance component which will make communication more successful between you and your business partner. RFP’s should be requested to allow for appropriate response times and not burden the tradesperson. The manager will be able to understand the expected time period and rate for projects and respond timely and appropriately to ensure the RFP is received in good order. A good manager will prepare bid comparisons for the Board upon the completions of the bidding process.
Conflict Management – When running an HOA, managers will have to deal with a diverse group of people. There will be disagreements and opposing views on correct procedures. You may have neighbor to neighbor disputes and there are other multiple situations that may arise that will require a manager to mediate a situation. Dispute resolution is an integral part of HOA community management duties.
A successful HOA manager will know how to negotiate between parties and help them all come to a compromise. No one will get everything they desire, of course, but proper mediation can leave people happy enough with the results and feel like their opinion has been heard and considered. The relationship between the manager and the Board members is crucial to the success of the community. Apart from that, it’s important to be a manager that they can trust. When there is trust, the Board and manager become more productive and efficient. Through this collaboration, good managers are able to meet the needs of their community and its residents; confidentiality and neutrality are important traits as well.
Time Management – Having many tasks can be overwhelming for anyone. However, a good manager will be able to handle multiple HOA responsibilities and tasks at the same time. Attending to one matter at a time is ideal, but often times unrealistic. Situations or certain periods of time, such as “in-season,” will arise that will require managers to multitask in order to meet everyone’s needs. There will always be a never-ending list of tasks, and managers need to find ways of handling them. Time management also involves setting boundaries that allow a manager to have a better quality of life and hopefully less stress. Understanding and practicing work life balance is key for any successful manager.
Resource Corner
Making use of the wide variety of resources available to managers is critical to staying on top of industry news, events, and any changes arising in the profession. The Community Associations Institute (CAI), its website (www.caionline.org) and local CAI Chapters also offer an array of resources and networking and professional development opportunities. To find a local chapter go to: https://www.caionline.org/Chapters/Pages/Find-A-Chapter.aspx
Below is a sampling of industry resources.
SmartBrief – Stay on top of industry news by subscribing to the Community Association SmartBrtief, a free, weekly e-mail newsbrief specifically designed for community association managers. CAMICB offers this complimentary resource aimed at bringing readers a quick, two-minute read that will help managers keep up-to-date with the latest news and trends in the profession. Similarly, be sure to follow the CMCACorner Blog, a platform to read about the intersections of business, industry trends, continuing education, and professional development in community association management.
Management Company Websites – Many management companies have blogs, case studies and other articles available to the public that cover a wide-range of topics and often showcase real life examples of managers in action.
CAI Exchange – An online forum that allows members to collaborate and connect with colleagues. Topics range from emergency notification systems to budgeting for insurance in the coming year to managing board member actions and everything in between.
Common Ground – CAI’s flagship magazine that provides in-depth information and examples on how volunteers and professionals can improve their communities. Select content available to nonmembers.
Community Manager – CAI’s bi-monthly newsletter for community association managers that covers topics like technology, condominium and portfolio management, and professional development. Select content available to non-members.
The Foundation for Community Association Research – The Foundation supports research and develops publications on a variety of topics that can help managers develop more effective and harmonious community associations. FCAR produces publications that include the Community Association Fact Book, Best Practices Reports, Catalyst, the Foundation’s newsletter, and more.
CAI Chapter Newsletters – CAI has 63 chapters worldwide, including Canada, the Middle East and South Africa. Managers should visit their local chapters’ website as many of these chapters produce newsletters, blogs and other forms of communication that can be valuable resources.
HABITAT – is an independent publication that mixes storytelling and service articles to cover issues of co-op/condo living and management concerns from the perspectives of board directors, community association managers and property managers. Per its website, “HABITAT provides credible, objective, substantial coverage – readable, informative, human-interest stories to illustrate and educate our readers on how people effectively govern and manage their associations and successfully contend with the complex issues of co-op/condo living.”
HOAleader.com – HOAleader.com was created to support the dedicated community of association managers and other professionals who work to realize the potential of their association—Board and committee members, property managers, attorneys, financial professionals, insurance professionals, developers, vendors, and homeowners. Among other things, it offers legal compliance help, advice on best practices, and practical tips, tools and sample forms.
A Growing Career For A Growing Industry
Community association management is a young profession that has experienced staggering growth since its beginning just over 40 years ago. According to U.S. government reports, in 1970, there were approximately 10,000 community associations. By 2020, that number has grown to more than 350,000 community associations, home to nearly 74 million people. Housing construction statistics show common interest developments are the fastest-growing segment of residential home construction, and rapid growth is expected to continue.[1]
The nearly 74 million people in the United States who live in covenant-protected communities rely largely on CMCA certification as proof of ethical, knowledgeable, professional community association management and CAMICB is proud to support the highest level of professionalism in the field.
What It Means And What It Takes To Be An Effective Community Association Manager is the first in a series of articles, produced by CAMICB staff, that delve into the important issues and topics affecting community association managers.
[1] Opportunity Knocks – Opening the Door to Careers in Community Association Management, a guide from the Foundation for Community Association Research, Community Associations Institute, and the Community Association Managers International Certification Board https://www.caionline.org/LearningCenter/CareerCenter/Pages/Excel.aspx